Government has expressed disappointment with the slow pace of works on the 53-kilometre Cheswa-Chungulo to Chinsali gravel road in Chinsali District.
Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary, Tuesday Bwalya, says the contractor, M and N Industrial Merchants, has failed to record meaningful progress on the road project.
Dr Bwalya notes that the contractor has also failed to mobilise more machinery or subcontract some works to others to expedite the project.
The Permanent Secretary said this when he inspected part of the road in Chinsali yesterday.
He said the government and the people in the area have waited for a long time to have a good road in the area.
“We had hoped that you would call your colleagues to say, ‘Come, let us work together so that you don’t delay us or delay the people in the area. They have waited; they have complained enough, and it is now time for action. Let us all be accountable,” he said.
Dr Bwalya expressed disappointment that not much has been done when the government already has funds from the World Bank to pay the contractor once he is done.
“Money is already there from the World Bank to pay you if you do the work,” he said.
Dr Bwalya has indicated that the government is committed to supporting local contractors but that some have been disappointing when given contracts.
“We want you to grow as a company, and this government wants to give you business, but we expect you also to deliver, and that should be the message to shareholders of this company,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Road Development Agency (RDA) said the contractor has only handed over 10 kilometers of the road works.
Dr Bwalya said the contractor is now working on another 5 kilometers of the road.
He expressed disappointment with the phase at which the contractor is moving and indicated that RDA in Lusaka has since summoned the contractor for a serious management meeting.
“We expect key decisions to be made concerning the direction of the project because we are equally disappointed that the contractor has delayed looking at the time frame in which he was supposed to deliver the project,” he said.
Dr Bwalya also disclosed that the model of the project is that the contractor is expected to do two years in construction and three years for routine maintenance.
Earlier, M and N Industrial Merchant Site Engineer for the project Everisto Katongo, attributed the delays to a lack of gravel in the area.
He said the company is extracting gravel from a distant place.
Mr Katongo, who was also questioned about the lack of availability of adequate machinery, assured the team that it would be coming next week.
“The machinery is in Kitwe undergoing some service. And we expect it to be in by next week,” he said.
He also assured the government that the firm would do all the road work on the project by August and remain with critical crossing points.
Meanwhile, a motorist, Latest Mwamba, has called on the contractor to raise the road to avoid damage.
Mr Mwamba also called on the contractor to speed up the work stating that the road is a vital link.
